Thank You For Loving Me
by jellybean96
Summary: There's nothing quite like a wedding to reunite old friends. *Part 2 of 'Life's a Roller Coaster' Series*


**Hey babes! Got a new one for ya! This one goes along with my story** _you wanna start a fire, it only takes a spark_. **It's set within that same universe, that I have labeled the** _Life's a Roller Coaster_ **series. I've got a lot planned for this one, so I'm excited to share all these stories with you guys. :)**

 **So here's the first one.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Carefully stepping over the slightly raised threshold of the front door of their house, Skye breathes in deeply at the cool breeze that passes over her. She has one hand resting on her enlarged belly and the other on her lower back.

She looks around for a moment, waving at a few of her neighbors before carefully lowering herself onto the porch swing off to the side. She rocks back and forth a little, closing her eyes and tilting her head back as she starts to relax.

A quick jab in her stomach makes her jump and hiss. She runs a hand across the area that had been assaulted.

"Geez, kid, what the hell are you doing in there? You're gonna give momma a whole lot of bruises. If that's even possible."

Gravel crunching pulls her attention away from her pregnant belly to the dark SUV drawing closer to her front yard.

She smiles wide, already knowing who's inside the SUV.

"Fitz! Abby!" she shouts when she sees the two climbing out of the vehicle.

She struggles a bit to get back up off the porch swing and then down the steps to the sidewalk. She quickly pulls the both of them into a hug. "I'm so glad you guys could make it."

"We're just happy you thought to invite us," Abby tells her.

"It was one of my first thoughts after Grant proposed," she tells them. "You two were some of the few who helped and supported us back then, and we want you here for this."

"So where's Grant?" Abby asks, glancing around the yard.

"He's at work right now," Skye tells them. "He tried to get the day off so he could be home when you guys got here, but they've been having some issues with one of the dogs and he's pretty much the best one there when it comes to dealing with the animals. He'll be back later this afternoon, though."

"Well, we look forward to seeing him. It's certainly been a while."

"That it has," Skye says with a nod. "A little over three years since we left, if I'm not mistaken."

"Nearly four," Fitz amends.

She nods. "Right. Talking over a video call is nothing compared to actually seeing you guys face to face. This way is so much better."

"Yes, it is," Abby agrees. "And Mack said that he and Elena will be here tomorrow."

"Great. Well, come on in, then. Let me give you guys the official tour." She turns and makes her way back up toward the house. "Are you guys staying in a hotel while you're here?" she asks them. "Because we have some space here if you need it."

"Oh, we're fine at the hotel, dear, but thank you for the offer," Abby says. She glances around the front room. "This is a very lovely home, though."

Skye smiles. "Thanks. We had fun picking it out and redecorating a little. This is our home now."

"Well you two definitely deserve it after everything you've been through," Fitz tells her.

"Thanks, Fitz. And it definitely feels good to not be constantly on the run or looking over our shoulders waiting for the next attack to happen."

"I'm sure it does." He takes a deep breath. "So, how about that tour?"

She smiles. "Yes. Follow me." She turns and begins leading them through the house, showing off the different things they added to make it feel more like home to them.

.

.

.

"So, Fitz, what's new over there at SHIELD?" Skye asks her friend as they sit in the living room, lounging back on the couch. "Anything I should know about that you haven't told me already?"

Fitz shifts in his seat. "Um, well, Lincoln officially left."

Her brows furrow. "What? When did that happen?"

"How long ago did you guys leave?"

"Oh."

"Yeah. He said he was only ever there for you when Coulson told him to leave because he was too reckless and a bit of a loose cannon."

Skye quirks an eyebrow. "That's it? That's why he kicked Lincoln out of SHIELD? Because he's reckless?"

Fitz nods. "Yeah."

"So it had absolutely _nothing_ to do with the fact that Lincoln is one of the main reasons why my fiancé used to wake up screaming in the middle of the night because he thought he'd accidentally hurt me." She scoffs. "Wow. Well, I can't exactly say I'm surprised when Coulson wasn't that much better, constantly telling Grant that he shouldn't be alive and that we'd all be better off without him."

The floor beneath them shakes.

Skye closes her eyes and takes a deep breath in. She rubs a hand over her belly. "Sorry, I guess after four years I'm not completely over things like I thought I was."

Fitz gives her a small smile. "It's alright. I understand. It's a pretty tough subject."

Skye sighs and nods. "It certainly is."

It's quiet for a moment between the two adults before the sound of the front door unlocking and being pushed open draws their attention.

Skye smiles when she sees the man and the dog entering the house. "Hey, babe."

"Hey. Max, go say hi to mom."

The German Shepherd pads quickly across the floor and stops right in front of Skye.

She leans over as best she can to rub at his head. "Hi, boy. Were you good for your dad today? Did you help keep him from going all human blowtorch?" she asks with an amused smile.

Grant sighs. "Skye, you know that hasn't happened since we came here."

She looks up at him. "I know. Doesn't mean it never will again, though." She takes a deep breath. "But, let's not discuss that right now. Someone is here to see you."

Grant's brows furrow. "Who?"

"Um, hi."

Skye stifles a laugh when Grant's eyes go wide and he turns to see Fitz sitting on one of the couches, a small smile on his face.

"Fitz, hey."

"Hi." He stands from the couch. "How are you?"

Grant takes a deep breath. "A lot better."

"That's good, I'm glad you're doing better now."

"Thanks. Where's Abby?" Grant asks, looking around the room. "I thought she was coming too."

"She's here," Fitz says. "She was a bit tired from the trip, though, so she went back to the hotel to sleep."

"Oh, okay."

"I'm sure she'll be by tomorrow to say hello."

"Great, that's great. Mack and Elena are still coming too, right?"

"Yes, they are," Skye assures him. "Fitz said they'll be coming in tomorrow."

"Good, okay." He looks back at his friend. "So, uh, are you staying at a hotel while you're here too? Or do you need a room here? We've got a couple of spares."

"I'm at the hotel," Fitz tells him. "Thank you, though."

"Okay."

There's a bit of an awkward silence that fills the room, Max's panting the only thing filling the space. It's been nearly four years since the three of them have been in a room together, and they're still trying to find their footing, especially Grant and Fitz.

"Babe," Skye eventually speaks up, "I think Fitz might need a ride back to his hotel since Abby took their rental. Maybe you can give him one. I would, but I'm kinda tired."

Grant nods. "Yeah, uh, yeah, I can do that." He looks at Fitz. "Are you ready now? Or did you want to wait for a little while?"

"Now's fine," Fitz says. "I should probably rest up from the trip before the wedding."

"Okay. The car's outside."

"Great." Fitz stands from the couch and walks over to Skye, helping her up from her own seat before pulling her into a hug. "It's so great to see you again. I'll see you tomorrow."

Skye nods. "Absolutely. See you tomorrow."

Fitz gives her a small smile before moving toward the door.

Grant steps over to his wife and plants a kiss to the top of her head. "I'll be back in a few. Max, are you coming with me, or staying here?"

Max pauses for a moment before padding over to the front door.

Grant smiles. "That's my boy."

Skye smiles and shakes her head. "Of course he'd choose to go with you. He always does."

"I know. Are you ready, Fitz?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Great. We should get going, then."

"Right. Lead the way."

Grant nods and then steps out of the house, Max right at his side, and Fitz behind him. He walks down the porch and across the sidewalk to get to the SUV in the driveway.

Once they're both in the vehicle, Grant inserts the key into the ignition, but pauses, taking a deep breath and turning slightly in his seat.

"Hey, Fitz?" he speaks up. "Um, I know it's kind of short notice, and I probably should have asked you before, but I was wondering if you'd maybe want to be my Best Man?"

"Really?"

Grant nods. "Yeah."

"I'd be honored."

Grant beams. "You would?"

Fitz nods. "Absolutely."

"That's great. Really great. Um, I guess I should get you to the hotel, then." He gives his friend one more smile before starting up the car and pulling out of the driveway.

* * *

"Is this where the pre-wedding party is?"

Skye spins around as quickly as she can without getting light-headed, and grins when she sees Mack and Elena making their way into the backyard of the house.

"Mack! Elena! You guys made it!" She waddles over to them and pulls Mack down into a hug, and then Elena.

"Of course we did," Mack tells her. "There's no way we'd miss your wedding."

She frowns a little. "Even though I had to miss yours?"

Mack shakes his head. "That's not your fault, we don't hold it against you. We understand that it wouldn't have been safe for Grant to be there and that you didn't want to leave him alone."

"Still, I really wish I could have been there."

"We know," Elena tells her. "But what's important now is that we are all together."

Skye's smile returns. "Yes, you're exactly right. Now come on, I want to introduce you to some friends of ours." She leads them across the yard to a small group of people. "Mack, Elena, this is my absolute best friend and neighbor, Emily. Em, this is Alphonso Mackenzie and his wife Elena. Grant and I used to work with them."

"Hi," Emily says with a smile. "It's so great to finally meet you guys."

"You too," Mack says. "I'm glad Skye found a friend so quickly after moving here."

"Well, she kind of forced me into the friendship," Skye jokes.

"Oh, you love me," Emily says.

Skye smiles at her friend. "That I do."

"Babe, here's that drink you asked for."

Skye turns her head and smiles at her fiancé, taking the glass of sparkling cider from him. "Thank you." She takes a sip. "Oh, that is good. I wish it were champagne, but I love my kid, so I suffer for a few months."

"It'll be worth it in the end," Grant tells her. He turns to the rest of the group. "Champagne for anyone else?" he asks.

"Yes please," Emily speaks up quickly.

"I'd love a glass, thanks," Fitz says.

"I'll have one too," Mack adds.

"Um, none for me," Elena says almost inaudibly.

Skye's brows furrow. "What? Why not?"

Elena glances up at Mack, who gives her a small nod, before looking back Skye. "I'm pregnant. Almost four months."

Skye's eyes go wide. "What? Oh my goodness!" She steps forward to pull the woman into a hug. "Congratulations!"

Elena smiles and returns the hug. "Thank you. We're very excited."

"And nervous," Mack adds.

"I'm sure you guys will be fine. If anyone should be nervous right now it should be me because I only have two months left before our little girl gets here." She rubs a hand across her large stomach.

"Only two months?" Mack repeats. "Wow. Are you guys ready?"

"I don't know if anyone can ever be ready," Grant pipes in. "But we're doing our best."

"I'm a little concerned, though," Skye says.

Grant turns to her with furrowed brows. "About what?"

"Actually giving birth," she tells him. "I just...I'm a little worried that this kid is gonna be huge and completely destroy everything down there. I mean, I look like a beached whale, I'm ginormous. I don't think anyone should be this huge when they're pregnant with only one kid."

"I'm sure everything will be fine," Grant tries to assure her.

Skye sighs. "Either way, we're not getting any sleep for the next eighteen years, so that'll be fun."

* * *

"You ready for this, mate?"

Grant takes a deep breath and nods his head, his eyes fixed on the end of the aisle behind the few rows of chairs lining their backyard. "Absolutely."

"That's good," Fitz tells him. "Are you nervous?"

Grant pauses before letting his shoulders slump. "Completely." He turns toward his friend with wide eyes. "What if I screw up, Fitz? What if she wakes up one morning and realizes she doesn't want to be married to me and takes our kid and leaves me to go back to SHIELD?"

"I promise you that won't happen."

"You can't promise something like that, Fitz."

Fitz shrugs. "Maybe not. But I do know that Skye is completely in love with you. Has been for a long time. That's not going to just go away. You two are meant to be together. It's honestly hard to imagine a world where something happens and you two didn't end up together. It's impossible."

"Yeah, maybe you're right."

Fitz scoffs. "'Course I am."

Grant smiles. "Thanks, Fitz. I guess I really needed to hear that."

"Not a problem. It's my job as your Best Man to make sure you go through with this. I was just a little worried I'd have to call Lisa over here to talk to you."

Grant shakes his head. "No, I'm glad you didn't. She's here as our guest, she shouldn't have to work too."

"Well, I'm sure she's glad for that. I was talking with her earlier, introducing myself, and she said that she's very proud of how far you've come since she started talking to you."

He breathes in deeply. "I certainly have. When we first got here, I don't think I would have been ready to start a family."

"Well, the important thing now is that you are ready, and you and Skye are going to be fantastic parents to your little girl."

Grant smiles. "Thanks, man."

Fitz smiles back. "Anytime."

The soft sounds of music flow through the speakers set up in the yard, and everyone turns their attention to the back end of the aisle.

Emily emerges from around the corner, clutching a small bouquet of daisies in her hands as she walks. As the Maid of Honor, she takes up her spot near the altar, standing opposite Fitz.

Max comes down the aisle next, a small pillow attached to his collar that holds the wedding bands.

Grant holds his breath as he watches the dog walk. They'd practiced this whole sequence day in and day out, since they decided to have their dog be the Ring Bearer, to make sure that he'll do it flawlessly for the actual ceremony.

Next thing he knows, Max is sitting dutifully at his feet, and the music changes slightly.

His breath catches in his throat when he sees the love of his life emerge.

Her simple white dress is flowing down just past her knees and barely hugs her baby bump, the fabric billowing slightly in the breeze.

He can't help but think that she's never looked more beautiful to him than in this particular moment, her hair braided and wrapped around her head like a halo, a very light layer of makeup on her face.

His smile widens when she reaches him and grabs one of his hands, giving it a light squeeze.

"Hi," she whispers.

"Hi," he whispers back. "You look so beautiful."

"Thanks. You look pretty handsome too."

Neither of them pays much attention to the officiant, too busy focused on each other.

That is, until they're both nudged by Fitz and Emily, and they know it's time for their vows.

Taking a deep breath in, Grant stares right into Skye's deep brown eyes, holding her hands tightly in his own.

"I don't deserve you," he says simply. "You tell me all the time that we deserve each other, but it's still taking me some time to truly believe that someone as messed up as me could deserve someone as incredible as you. You are everything to me, Skye. You and our baby are everything to me. I'll love you forever, there's no doubt in my mind about that. And I can't wait to spend forever with you."

Skye hastily wipes at the tears on her cheeks, muttering under her breath about hormones. She takes a deep breath and looks deep into Grant's eyes.

"For the longest time, I fought against my feelings for you. I didn't want them to be real because then that meant that you still had a hold on my heart. But you did. And you still do. You're my home, Grant, my family, and nothing is ever going to change that. You're the man I want to spend my life with, and I'm so grateful that we found our way back to one another. Life is so much better with you in it."

"If anyone here has no objections to this union," the officiant speaks, pausing for just a moment, "then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Grant beams as he drops Skye's hands and takes hold of her waist instead, pulling her as close as he can and searing his lips to hers.

Skye's knees buckle at the intensity of the kiss. She reaches up and grabs onto the lapels of Grant's suit jacket to steady herself.

"I love you," Grant whispers against her lips.

Skye smiles. "I love you too."

.

.

.

"Do we really have to take pictures right now?" Skye grumbles as she shifts on her feet in the grass, trying to find a comfortable way to stand. "I look like a whale."

"You look beautiful," Grant tells his new wife, wrapping his arms around her from behind and pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Well, my feet hurt."

"And we let you take your shoes off even though it'll ruin the aesthetics of the photos," Emily replies.

Skye rolls her eyes. "You and your damn aesthetics."

"You doing alright over here, Tremors?" Mack asks her as he and Elena approach the group.

Skye pouts. "No. They're being mean by not letting me sit down."

"It's just a few pictures, Skye," Grant tells her calmly. "Then you can sit down all you want at the reception."

Skye sighs, leaning back against her husband. "Fine. I'll stand around for your stupid pictures."

Emily looks up from the LCD screen of her camera setup on a tripod. "Hey, you know you're going to love these pictures later when you look back on them and remember the happy times."

"But I'm probably also going to remember how much my feet hurt."

"Let's just take the pictures," Grant says to their friend. "The sooner she can sit down the sooner she'll stop complaining."

Emily sighs. "Fine." She looks back at her camera and makes sure everything is centered and that all the settings are correct before setting the timer and then jogging to get in the photo.

Skye plasters a smile on her face for the few photos they take and then breathes a sigh of relief when she's finally able to sit down and rest.

.

.

.

Standing from his seat after it is announced that it's time for the Best Man's speech, Fitz moves to the front of the section of yard set up for the reception, facing the group.

He takes a slow, deep breath, his fingers winding a little tighter around the champagne glass in his hand.

"Um, I've known Grant and Skye for quite a while. Nearly ten years now. It's been a rollercoaster, I guess you could say. I could always see there was something between them, even when they didn't want to see it themselves." He smiles over at his friends. "I'm very happy for the two of them, for taking this next step in their relationship, and I know they're going to be amazing parents. Because they truly do love each other, and true love always finds a way back to one another, no matter what happens. Congratulations." He raises his glass in the air, along with everyone else, and then returns back to his seat.

As he sits back in his seat, Emily stands from her chair and takes up the spot where Fitz had just been standing.

"Well, I haven't known Grant and Skye quite as long as Fitz has," she addresses the small crowd. "I've only known them about four years, but they've been great friends and neighbors in those four years. As soon as they moved in, and I started getting to know them, I could see how much they truly cared about each other, and I'm very happy to be standing up here today, witnessing all of this. It's amazing. I love you both so much, and I'm so beyond happy for you. You both deserve all the happiness in the world." She smiles over at the two of them and then makes her way back to her seat on Skye's other side.

Taking a deep breath, Grant stands from his own chair but doesn't move forward. "I know I technically already spoke, considering my vows, but uh, I just thought about saying something more." He clears his throat. "Um, I've never been too good at showing or talking about my emotions. Until I met Skye. Well, even when I met her, I still had a hard time talking about my feelings. But Skye actually made me want to talk about my feelings. She is the best thing to ever happen to me, and sometimes I can't believe that she actually wants to be with me." He smiles down at his new wife. "Because of this beautiful woman here, my life is so much better than I ever thought it could be. And that's amazing. So here's to us, Skye. Here's to as many years together as the universe lets us have, and to raising an amazing kid together. I love you so much, thank you for choosing to be with me, despite everything that's happened. I'll always love you, nothing is going to change that. Ever." He leans down to give her a slow kiss before taking his seat again.

"That was sweet," Skye tells him, wiping the tears from her eyes as she leans against him, everyone around them going back to their own conversations.

He drops a kiss to the top of her head, his arm wrapping around her and holding her close. "It felt right. I just...I never want you or anyone to doubt how much I love you."

She tilts her head to look up at him. "Hey, you know that I will never doubt how much you love me. And as for everyone else, you shouldn't care if anyone doubts that. Because you know that I love you with everything I have, and nothing is going to change that."

He nods. "I know. It's just still a little tough sometimes."

She smiles softly. "I know. But we've got a whole lifetime to work through everything."

He smiles. "A whole lifetime together. I really like the sound of that."

"Me too."

* * *

 **So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.**

 **Until next time,  
Jellybean96 out!**


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